


Underwater

by meganexrock



Category: World Trigger
Genre: Gen, World Trigger Secret Santa 2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 05:27:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5527721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meganexrock/pseuds/meganexrock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hokari knows Arafune is the kind of person who never gives up no matter the situation, a hard-willed type of guy who sets his eyes on something and pursues it with passion : It’s something that he’s really proud about of his squad captain and shapes Arafune unit into the powerful all-snipers team they are. </p><p>…He also knows Arafune absolutely sucks at swimming even though there’s no apparent reason for it, so he knows they will spend a long time at Border’s pool.</p><p>[Silly gen piece where the 18 y/o try to teach Arafune how to swim]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Underwater

**Author's Note:**

> Present for lotusjuice@tumblr for the world trigger 2015's secret santa! Hope you like this silly thing!

“You don’t know how to swim?” 

Arafune scowls , his brows furrowing and his mouth drawing into a hard line.

They are hanging out after school; sharing some fast food and relaxing before Border duty calls when Inukai drops the bomb.

“Tell everybody else on the base too won’t you?” He answers, and Inukai just laughs while Touma shrugs. Something in his eyes tells Arafune he might do just that so he adds “Don’t you dare” He’s sure his kind senpais wouldn’t really mock him for it, but it’s the same as with his dislike (fear) of dogs: Arafune wants to be a respected all rounder like Reiji, not as Kou had said when he found out, a ‘cute’ one. He shudders at the idea. He really doesn’t need to add ‘now knowing how to swim’ to the list. 

“Hey, it’s not such a big deal, really” Kitazoe says in his always cheerful and relaxed tone “Everyone can learn with a good teacher. Even I can float and that’s the basics for swimming. You could do it too, Tetsuji”

As Arafune still doesn’t look very convinced, Kou adds.

“I’m sure you could do it, Arafune-senpai” And of course he’s doing that thing with his eyes that Arafune finds absolutely impossible to resist. (Traitor, he thinks. And who the hell talked Kou into betraying him like this…? He knows the attacker wouldn’t even notice the power those damned puppy eyes holds over Arafune-- )

“No, I see no reason , really…” 

Then Kageura smirks; all sharp teeth and playful eyes.

“You are a coward”

Touma whistles and Hokari sighs.

“When are we doing this?”

&&&&&&

Hokari knows Arafune is the kind of person who never gives up no matter the situation, a hard-willed type of guy who sets his eyes on something and pursues it with passion : It’s something that he’s really proud about of his squad captain and shapes Arafune unit into the powerful all-snipers team they are. 

…He also knows Arafune absolutely sucks at swimming even though there’s no apparent reason for it, so he knows they will spend a long time at Border’s pool.

“Nobody else should show up here today, your secret’s safe, Arafune-chan” says Inukai , already stripping off his shirt.

“I don’t know why I put up with all of you” Arafune groans, taking off his trademark hat and putting it aside with his towel and shirt. 

“Because you love us” Adds Inukai, winking at Arafune before jumping into the pool, splashing Kageura who curses angrily. “I’ll be the first to teach you, so just get in already”  
Arafune sighs and strips off his shirt too, standing naked aside from the deep blue swimming trunks clinging to his hips. 

“How is this supposed to work?” 

Inukai extends his arms and floats like he was born for it.

“First you gotta float, just… breathe and try not to drown…oh and don’t panic if you swallow a little bit of water” the blonde moves his arms around a little while talking, trying to stay still.

“I won’t panic” is what Arafune says before slowly descending down the stairs until his feet touch the ground of the pool and the water comes up to his shoulders.  
He frowns.

“Just…breathe and try not to drown” He repeats before extending his arms. 

He manages to stay afloat a few seconds before his head dunks underwater.

Arafune comes up coughing.

Fuck this shit.

“How the fuck do I try to ‘not drown?!’” He sputters angrily while Inukai laughs. 

“Staying calm, I told you!”He answers “You didn’t stay calm at all”

“I did!” 

“No , you didn’t.” Inukai shakes his head and demonstrates again.

Staying calm, yeah, he can do it.

He inhales deeply and – dunks underwater again.

“Wow you’re terrible at this, Arafune” is the first thing he hears when he comes up again, in Touma’s amused voice.

“I ….don’t get it” he mutters , frustrated. Figures Inukai wouldn’t make sense at all; the guy is good at fighting but everything seems like a game to him and this is just the same, he’s someone who runs on instincts, not logic and plans like Arafune.

“Me next! Let me try” says Touma and Arafune deadpans at him; he should have known… this has turned into a game for them, he sighs and looks at Hokari who just shrugs.

Nice help there.

Touma is, as expected, absolutely impossible to understand (If you try to stay floating and do nothing of course you will drown, Inukai takes things too lightly, you know what?   
Try to move), and after a few tries he shakes his head and gives up saying this is no fun at all.

Arafune thinks he is the one who definitely is having no fun at all.

But if Touma is unreasonable, then Kageura is the worst of all.

“Swim against me” 

Arafune looks at him as if he’s grown a second head.

“What the hell are you saying, Kageura? I don’t know how to swim”

Kageura smirks.

“You can learn while doing it” is all the warning the brunette gets before Kageura has already taken off for the goal. 

Surprisingly, it proves to be the best method ,because it’s the fartest he’s gotten; since he pursues the black haired attacker across the pool with no technique at all but he doesn’t drown this time.

Kageura doesn’t even mock him when he ‘wins’. 

“See? You could do it if you tried…”

Arafune finds himself smiling back… maybe Kageura is right and this is the best way for him to learn since he’s never liked to lose.

So he says “Race me again, I think I can get the idea now”

“Sure, just don’t think I’ll let you win easily just because you suck” 

“Could I join too?” 

The calm voice comes (not very surprisingly) from Murakami, who’s been watching from the sidelines with a small smile. 

“Sure” Arafune answers. Maybe…this time he can learn a thing or two from Kou.

“Did we fire up your competitive spirit, huh, Murakami?” drawls Kageura, cracking his neck with a smile that accentuates his sharp teeth.

“Maybe a little” answers Murakami shyly “And I wanted to help Arafune-senpai too”

“Cocky kouhai, maybe I’ll be the one to beat you this time after a few tries” Answers Arafune with a smile and Kageura groans.

“Could we get started already?” 

Arafune and Murakami nod.

In the end , Arafune can’t really say he’s learned how to swim, since his poor ‘try-to-advance-while-not-drowning’ can’t really be called swimming, not compared to Kageura’s or Murakami’s gracile movements (or even Inukai’s, who’s ended up joining too while Touma’s comments from the side), but he can say at least he’s gotten the idea; now he would just need practice. 

(Something he for sure can do a lot…maybe he will even ask Hokari or Murakami to keep him company…)

“I brought Ice cream!”

But it’s Kitazoe who ends their improvised competition.

“ICE CREAM!!” Inukai jumps out of the pool like a kid even before Kitazoe’s finished announcing his arrival and Touma just chuckles, amused.

For units that are almost sworn enemies (as long as Ninomiya is not there), Inukai gets along with the people from Kageura’s unit just fine.

“Just in time!”Kitazoe winks and Kageura frowns.

“Are you doubting me? I would have won anyway” He mumbles and gets out of the pool, droplets of water falling from his messy hair.

Kitazoe just smiles and hands him a popsickle that Kageura accepts easily (probably his favorite flavor , from the way Kageura seems to lighten up instantly even if his expression   
stays pretty much the same. Kitazoe always seems to know a lot more about Kageura than everybody else after all…)

“So you just needed a push” comes Hokari’s calm voice from behind him and Arafune would have jumped if he wasn’t used to it. Hokari has always been the cool and collected type.

“Seems like it. I still wouldn’t call it swimming though”

“It didn’t turn out as bad as I expected it would” confesses Hokari, shrugging.

“You thought I wouldn’t be able to learn?”Arafune raises a brow , but he smirks . “I’m hurt. To think somebody of my own unit would not believe in me…I will remember this the   
next time we are on duty”

Hokari just pokes him in the cheek with a popsickle he’s gotten from Kitazoe, handing it to him later.

“I didn’t say that. Just thought we would be all day here until you perfectioned it… but I see you will leave that for later” 

Arafune gives the popsickle a bite and thinks for a moment before answering.

“It may be helpful for our unit someday” Hokari is not very sure about that, but he can leave it at that.

And in the midst of their noisy gathering, there is suddenly unexpected silence.

_“So are you gonna do the same with your fear of dogs someday?”_


End file.
